The main purpose of the Biolosophy discussion group is to create a platform that promotes dialogue between researchers of the Bielefeld academic community on their respective interests and projects related to theoretical topics in the life sciences.
Weekly meetings will convene every Wednesday at 14:00-16:00 in T8-222 .
Reading for the Next Meeting (February 22, 2012):
Modularity and Plasticity: Complement or Compatibility
Stephan Kopsieker
For a copy of the text, please contact Dan or Stephan
The format of the meetings will usually consist in a short presentation of a pre-circulated paper (either published or in development), followed by a roundtable discussion. The emphasis will be on works in progress by the group's members, but interest in reading journal articles or book chapters are also welcome. In the future, organization of activities such as workshops and conferences will also eventually be considered.
If you are interested in taking part in the discussion group, please send a quick email to Stephan, Dan or Maria confirming your interest, or just come on by!
Don't hesitate to invite or contact others who might also be interested.
Additionally, we will also post dates and places for related talks, presentations, or guests on the website.
Upcoming Lectures, Presentations (2012):
Past Meetings:
2009
- Dec 15: Presenter: Maximiliano Martinez. Title: Natural Selection, Creativity, and Causation.
2010
- Jan 19: General Discussion. Topic: Natural Selection and Causation - Paper: Matthen and Ariew 2009
- Feb 4: Workshop (with Special Guest Eva Jablonka): In Darwin's Shadow Extended. Presenters: Maximilliano Martinez (Bielefeld), Frank Paris (Bochum), Thomas Reydon (Hannover), Louise Röska-Hardy (Witten-Herdecke).
- May 19: Workshop on Biological Complexity (with Special Guest Sandra Mitchell), followed by colloquium lecture: Policy in the Face of Complexity and Deep Uncertainty.
- June 2 (18:00-20:00, T8-200): Ulrich Krohs. Title: "Biological and Other Functions in the Post-Adaptationist Era"
- June 10 (14:00-16:00, T8-222): Fabian Lausen. Title: "Reductionism and Heuristics"
- June 22 (14:00-16:00, U4-120): Stephan Kopsieker. Title: "Can Complexity Explain the Evolution of Cognition?"
- July 14 (17:00-19:00, W0-135): Dietrich von Engelhardt (Institut für Geschichte und Ethik der Medizin der TU München). Title: "Historisierung der Natur um 1800: Positionen und Konzepte der Evolution vor Charles Darwin".
- October 18 (16:15-18:00, U6-211): Tino Plümecke. Title: Differenzen in den Lebenswissenschaften: Zur Neugestaltung von 'Rasse' im Zeitalter der Genetik (Presentation as part of the Graduiertenkolleg of the IWT).
2011
- Jan. 17 (18-20 Uhr, H8) Ulrich Krohs: "Warum Darwin kein Philosoph war, aber Aristoteles auch Biologe" (Im Rahmen der Ringvorlesung Feed your Brain- die Life-Sciences schauen über den Tellerrand)
- Jan. 24 (18-20 Uhr, H8) Maria Kronfeldner: "Der Mensch - der erst freigelassene der Schöpfung?" (Im Rahmen der Ringvorlesung Feed your Brain- die Life-Sciences schauen über den Tellerrand)
- Jan. 26 (16-18 Uhr, T8-200) Francesca Merlin (University of Paris-Sorbonne): "Explanation in biology. A case study " (Im Rahmen des Seminars Wissenschaftliche Erklärungen)
- Feb. 22 (16-18 Uhr, T8-224) ISHPSSB 2011 - Grad Student Roundtable Discussion
- Jun. 15 Club Meeting: Presenter: Maria Kronfeldner. Title: Human nature and causation.
- Jun. 2 Pre-ISHPSSB Discussion. Presenters: Dan Brooks, Stephan Kopsieker, Fabian Lausen.
- Oct. 27 (10:15-11:45 VHF 211) Klaus Reinhold: Macht die Natur Fehler? (Lecture)
- Nov. 9, 2011 Graduate Workshop with Philip Kitcher: Science and Democracy in the "Senatssaal", A3-126
2012
- Jan. 11 Stephan Kopsieker "Modularität und Plastizität als Organisationsformen von biologischen Systemen"
- Jan. 18 Dominik Mahr "Johannes Thienemann: 'Der Vogelzug und die Vogelwarte Rossitten'"
- Feb. 01 Jan Baedke (Bochum) "Causal explanation beyond the genes: manipulation and causality in epigenetics"
Contact:
Dan Brooks (daniel.brooks@uni-bielefeld.de)
Stephan Kopsieker (stephan.kopsieker@uni-bielefeld.de)
Maria Kronfeldner (maria.kronfeldner@philosophie.uni-bielefeld.de)
Many thanks to Maximiliano Martinez, who was a postdoctoral fellow at the department, founding member of the group and is now at the UNAM (Mexico).
